Josh Kaufman

Josh Kaufman is the bestselling author of books on business, entrepreneurship, skill acquisition, applied psychology, and practical wisdom. About Josh Kaufman »

Draw The Line

The default way of thinking about progress and success is in terms of concrete actions: the things you’re willing to do to get what you want.

It’s useful to invert that line of thinking: what are you not willing to do to get what you want?

  • What are you not willing to consider, even though it might work?
  • What are you willing to forego, even though it might cost you something?
  • What are you willing to give up, even if it might have benefits?
  • What restrictions on your own actions or behavior are you willing to accept?

Answering these questions is just as valuable as more traditional goal-based action planning: it’s one of the best ways of defining who you are, who you want to be, and how you intend to operate in the world.

Published: May 25, 2018 Last updated: January 11, 2019